The Docel Letters
by Namine's angel
Summary: We've all read Screwtapes letters to Wormwood, but we've never heard the Angels side of things. At least, until now. Read Docels letters to her niece Lacrimel as the older Angel tries to help her family member bring a Human to God.
1. One

My dear Lacrimel,

I am glad that you are trying to give Lucinda a good opinion of Christianity and God, but do keep in mind that jargon with no thought will not help her. Nor will giving her a list of famous Christians. Believing something just because it seems strong or heroic or because famous Humans in the past practiced it does not make it right, though her Tempter will attempt to make her agree with this way of thinking. Tyrants who oppress others are strong to those they hurt, and Lucifer himself is thought to be strong by the other Fallen Angels, but that doesn't mean that they are right or understand anything about Gods love. Encouraging someone to take up the beliefs of others without examining whether or not they are right will also not help. Behavior like that can cause people to blindly go along with what others have to say, regardless of whether it is helpful or harmful. Remember, God does not want cattle or slaves. They do.

Instead, why not try nudging her to the hard sciences, like chemistry and astronomy? I have found that doing so will sometimes help them think more and more about God until they cannot get Him out of their heads. This has to do with the fact that there are many unseen, yet existing things that science has discovered and keeps trying to understand. It is also known in the hard science community that they do not know everything yet and that there are still things they have yet to discover. Though Lucinda is still an atheist, this may help her start to believe. Be careful, however. If she starts thinking about God, her personal Tempter will attempt to distract her with whatever they can, like with lunch or a good book.

You must hold on tight and be loud, firm, and calm with her. Tell her that she is not hungry and that since she already knows the plot to the good book, she can read it later. I know a younger Angel who was not as loud or strong as he could have been and, as a result, lost his one good attempt to turn a skeptic into a believer. The Angel had to go over his lessons again before he could try his hand at another soul. I don't want the same thing to happen to you, dearie.

Your loving Aunt,

Docel


	2. Two

My dear Lacrimel,

I know it must be hard to not reveal yourself when Lucinda keeps on doubting God and your existence. It is something every new Shepherd experiences and has to overcome. Though revealing yourself might make her believe in God, Lucinda has always been rather nervous and skittish, so your appearance might just scare her so much that she refuses to have anything to do with God in the future, even if you tell her not to be afraid. Besides, Humans nowadays know much more about the brain than they did in the past, which helps them heal illnesses, but also makes them quick to jump to the conclusion that they're insane or mentally ill, even when they are not. It wouldn't be good for Lucinda or the people around her if she thought she was insane or if you were a Fallen Angel.

Those who have done some research know that we might look strange or frightening in their eyes, but newcomers like Lucinda are not always familiar with that fact. It would not be wise to nip her faith in the bud by scaring her. Also, this has to do with free will. I'm sure Michael has taught you everything about it, but I'll give you a little reminder. If a Human only believes because he sees an Angel or God, they wouldn't have found any true love, knowledge, or faith in God on their own, and nor would they have kept it on their own. Slaves usually believe something if their captors force them to do so, but that does not mean they hold any love or much knowledge about the belief, and most of them probably wouldn't think that their captor's beliefs were correct anyways. They simply follow them to avoid getting punished.

Sons do what their fathers tell them to do, beliving that it is right and that it will help themselves and others. They may not always love their father or fully understand his thought process, but as long as they try and obey of their own free will, it is enough. This is what we want of all Humans. The Fallen Angels will not reveal themselves either, knowing that showing off their forms might make it easier for Humans to repent and harder to shake them off as silly, harmless things. After all, they are not. Do keep Lucinda reading texts, if you can. If her Tempter ever tries to get her to believe that Fallen Angels are harmless, silly things with red skin and pitchforks, make her remember any descriptions or pictures of them she came across. This is a serious matter, and while laughter is good, making light of eternally harmful things is not.

Your loving Aunt,

Docel


	3. Three

My dear Lacrimel,

I am glad to hear that you have managed to help Lucinda step into a church. We both know that she's overly self-conscious and timid, which is something the Fallen Angels have been working with for a long time, so this bit of progress is a good step forward. However, since her first experience was nerve-wracking and a little unfulfilling to her, the goal is to now keep her attention focused. She wasn't able to find a priest available this time, but a second visit to an actual sermon with other people might help. Of course, the Fallen Angels will try to convince her that she was lucky she wasn't seen the first time and that if she goes there a second and gets spotted, she will be thought of as a practicing Christian and mocked. If she goes during a sermon and sees people that she knows, they will also try to discredit the religion by reminding her of all the things about them that she hates or thinks passing queer.

You must remind her that those people are just like her-sinners in many ways, but seeing that there's a way to cleanse themselves and become better people. Even if all of those people fail, the fact that they are trying is a wonderful thing. Even if you can't always follow your father's orders and rules, the fact that you try and sometimes succeed makes him happy. You must also try to convince her that if she thinks this religion and church are correct, then it doesn't matter whether or not other people mock her. As long as she knows what she believes is right, then what other people think doesn't matter. She hasn't been mocked yet either, so she doesn't know whether or not she will be. I believe Humans say they'll cross that bridge when they get there. This is a very useful phase to try and calm down Lucinda so that she can be a more self-confident person in everything, including her beliefs.

In the meantime, keep encouraging her to read hard scientific texts and Christian texts, even the ones the church doesn't consider to be canon. They are still an interesting read, and if Lucinda shows some interest in them, there's no reason to try and discourage her from it.

Your affectionate Aunt,

Docel


End file.
